Skip to content

Boyhood: Scenes from Provincial Life
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Boyhood: Scenes from Provincial Life Paperback - 1998

by J. M. Coetzee

J.M. Coetzee grew up in a new development north of Cape Town, with a father he despised and a mother he both adored and resented. Bold and telling, this masterly evocation of a young boy's life under apartheid is the book Coetzee's many admirers have been waiting for. "Exceptional. . . . A scorched tale of race, caste, shame, and--at times--hilarious bewilderment".--THE NEW YORKER.


Summary

Coetzee grew up in a new development north of Cape Town, tormented by guilt and fear. With a father he despised, and a mother he both adored and resented, he led a double life—the brilliant and well-behaved student at school, the princely despot at home, always terrified of losing his mother's love. His first encounters with literature, the awakenings of sexual desire, and a growing awareness of apartheid left him with baffling questions; and only in his love of the high veld ("farms are places of freedom, of life") could he find a sense of belonging. Bold and telling, this masterly evocation of a young boy's life is the book Coetzee's many admirers have been waiting for, but never could have expected.

From the publisher

"Fiercely revealing, bluntly unsentimental. . .a telling portrait of the artist as a young man that illuminates the hidden source of his art." --Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times J.M. Coetzee's latest novel, The Schooldays of Jesus, is now available from Viking. Late Essays: 2006-2016 will be available January 2018. Coetzee grew up in a new development north of Cape Town, tormented by guilt and fear. With a father he despised, and a mother he both adored and resented, he led a double life--the brilliant and well-behaved student at school, the princely despot at home, always terrified of losing his mother's love. His first encounters with literature, the awakenings of sexual desire, and a growing awareness of apartheid left him with baffling questions; and only in his love of the high veld ("farms are places of freedom, of life") could he find a sense of belonging. Bold and telling, this masterly evocation of a young boy's life is the book Coetzee's many admirers have been waiting for, but never could have expected.

First line

HASH(0x11178b70)

Details

  • Title Boyhood: Scenes from Provincial Life
  • Author J. M. Coetzee
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition [ Edition: First
  • Pages 176
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Penguin Books, NY
  • Date September 1, 1998
  • ISBN 9780140265668 / 014026566X
  • Weight 0.35 lbs (0.16 kg)
  • Dimensions 7.7 x 5 x 0.5 in (19.56 x 12.70 x 1.27 cm)
  • Ages 18 to UP years
  • Grade levels 13 - UP
  • Themes
    • Cultural Region: Southern Africa
    • Topical: Coming of Age
  • Library of Congress subjects Coetzee, J. M., Authors, South African - 20th century
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 97012360
  • Dewey Decimal Code B

Media reviews

Fiercely revealing, bluntly unsentimental. . .a telling portrait of the artist as a young man that illuminates the hidden source of his art." —Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times



"Exceptional...a scorched tale of race, caste, shame, and—at times—hilarious bewilderment." —The New Yorker



"Tremendously readable and powerful...a masterfully told, spare and accessible memoir." —The Boston Globe



 

Citations

  • New York Times, 09/27/1998, Page 32

About the author

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, on February 9, 1940, John Michael Coetzee studied first at Cape Town and later at the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a Ph.D. degree in literature. In 1972 he returned to South Africa and joined the faculty of the University of Cape Town. His works of fiction include Dusklands, Waiting for the Barbarians, which won South Africa's highest literary honor, the Central News Agency Literary Award, and the Life and Times of Michael K., for which Coetzee was awarded his first Booker Prize in 1983. He has also published a memoir, Boyhood: Scenes From a Provincial Life, and several essays collections. He has won many other literary prizes including the Lannan Award for Fiction, the Jerusalem Prize and The Irish Times International Fiction Prize. In 1999 he again won Britain's prestigious Booker Prize for Disgrace, becoming the first author to win the award twice in its 31-year history. In 2003, Coetzee was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Back to Top

More Copies for Sale

Boyhood: Scenes From Provincial Life
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Boyhood: Scenes From Provincial Life

by Coetzee, J. M

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780140265668 / 014026566x
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Waltham, Massachusetts, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$1.49
$3.00 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Publishing Group. Used - Good. . . All orders guaranteed and ship within 24 hours. Your purchase supports More Than Words, a nonprofi t job training program for youth, empowering youth to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business.
Item Price
$1.49
$3.00 shipping to USA
Boyhood: Scenes From Provincial Life
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Boyhood: Scenes From Provincial Life

by Coetzee, J. M

  • Used
Condition
Used - Very Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780140265668 / 014026566x
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Waltham, Massachusetts, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$2.10
$3.00 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Publishing Group. Used - Very Good. . . All orders guaranteed and ship within 24 hours. Your purchase supports More Than Words, a nonprofit job training program for youth, empowering youth to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business.
Item Price
$2.10
$3.00 shipping to USA
Boyhood: Scenes from Provincial Life
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Boyhood: Scenes from Provincial Life

by Coetzee, J. M.

  • Used
  • Acceptable
Condition
Used - Acceptable
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780140265668 / 014026566x
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$3.77
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Books. Acceptable. Acceptable. Heavy wear. Ship within 24hrs. Satisfaction 100% guaranteed. APO/FPO addresses supported
Item Price
$3.77
FREE shipping to USA
Boyhood: Scenes from Provincial Life
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Boyhood: Scenes from Provincial Life

by Coetzee, J. M.

  • Used
Condition
UsedVeryGood
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780140265668 / 014026566X
Quantity Available
2
Seller
Skokie, Illinois, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$3.81
$3.99 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
UsedVeryGood.
Item Price
$3.81
$3.99 shipping to USA
Boyhood: Scenes from Provincial Life
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Boyhood: Scenes from Provincial Life

by Coetzee, J. M.

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780140265668 / 014026566x
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Frederick, Maryland, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$4.18
$3.99 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Books. Used - Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
Item Price
$4.18
$3.99 shipping to USA
Boyhood: Scenes from Provincial Life
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Boyhood: Scenes from Provincial Life

by Coetzee, J. M.

  • Used
Condition
UsedAcceptable
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780140265668 / 014026566X
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Interlochen, Michigan, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$6.15
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
UsedAcceptable. The item is very worn but continues to work perfectly. Signs of wear can include aesthetic issues such as scratches, dents, worn and creased covers, folded page corners and minor liquid stains. All pages and the cover are intact, but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include moderate to heavy amount of notes and highlighting, but the text is not obscured or unreadable. Page edges may have foxing (age related spots and browning). May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.
Item Price
$6.15
FREE shipping to USA
Boyhood: Scenes from Provincial Life

Boyhood: Scenes from Provincial Life

by Coetzee, J. M.

  • Used
  • good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780140265668 / 014026566X
Quantity Available
2
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$6.48
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Books, 1998. Paperback. Good. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
$6.48
FREE shipping to USA
Boyhood : Scenes from Provincial Life

Boyhood : Scenes from Provincial Life

by J. M. Coetzee

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780140265668 / 014026566X
Quantity Available
2
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$6.48
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Publishing Group, 1998. Paperback. Acceptable. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
$6.48
FREE shipping to USA
Boyhood: Scenes From Provincial Life
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Boyhood: Scenes From Provincial Life

by J. M. Coetzee

  • Used
  • good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780140265668 / 014026566X
Quantity Available
1
Seller
HOUSTON, Texas, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$6.98
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin (Non-Classics), 1998-09-01. Paperback. Good. Excellent customer service. Prompt Customer Service.
Item Price
$6.98
FREE shipping to USA
Boyhood : Scenes from Provincial Life
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Boyhood : Scenes from Provincial Life

by Coetzee, J. M

  • Used
Condition
Used - Very Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780140265668 / 014026566x
Quantity Available
2
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$8.78
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Publishing Group. Used - Very Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects.
Item Price
$8.78
FREE shipping to USA